Kind of Cute
by OodleNoodle
Summary: Jounouchi wants Kaiba, secretly he always has. Finally after a brief affair with his secret love, he is determined to make his dreams come true. More summary inside! NOTE: Originally started in 2007, I was required to take a break, and so it is being completed a few years down the road.
1. Chapter 1

Okay, this story is rated M for future chapters. So this story is basically about, Jounouchi being in love with Kaiba. He daydreams about him, he stares at him. He loves him, he wants to be with him. This story is about the struggle he goes through to make Kaiba his. :) Best I can describe it, I hope you like it.

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of it's characters.

**Review pleaseee:D**

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"Jou!" Yugi yelled from across the cafeteria, his arms crazily flapping about in the air. "Jouuu!" he called once again this time jumping up and down to add to his wild actions. 

Jounouchi stopped and turned to see Yugi, Honda and Otogi sitting at a table, well one of them wasn't in a chair anyway. The blonde smiled and headed towards his friends, "Saved me a seat eh?" Jounouchi said while he smoothly sat next to Honda and Otogi, his gaze fixed upon Yugi.

Yugi smiled and then took his seat, "Of course, we love you that much." the spiky haired boy chuckled. "Have you seen or heard from Anzu?" he continued this time more calm, "I didn't see her in class." he said looking down and fiddling his thumbs together.

A delicate smirk crawled on to Honda's face, "Cute.." he said almost to low to hear. He watched Yugi shoot a look at him; eyes widening as he changed a few shades of red within' 5 seconds.

"What does that mean?.." Yugi retorted, his cheeks managed to stay a pink rosy color.

Honda snickered and reached out a hand to ruffle Yugi's hair, "Nothing." he said sarcastically "You're just too obvious sometimes, that's all." he laughed.

Jounouchi smiled at Yugi, then cupped his head in his palms and let out a deep sigh. Carefully he scanned the cafeteria, watching everyone chat and eat. Slowly his eyes fell upon Seto Kaiba. Jounouchi couldn't help but roll his eyes as he saw how neatly his food was laid out and how carefully Kaiba was eating it, not to mention that he was eating alone. He probably thought that he was too good to eat with someone. Jounouchi smirked at this thought.

Yugi grumbled and ate his lunch pretending not to hear what Honda had said to him. He looked over to Jounouchi, noticing the empty expression on his face, "Something wrong Jounouchi?" he asked mindfully trying to sound like his mouth wasn't full of food.

The blonde's ears didn't catch his friends words, his brown eyes were still tightly fixed on Kaiba, he watched him contently and smirking to himself, it seemed as though the rest of the world didn't exist at the moment. He heard no one else, nor did he see them.

"Jou?" Honda said slowly, he raised a hand and waved it in front of Jounouchi's blank expressionless face.

"Huh?!" The blonde lifted his head from his hands with speed as he twisted his head to look at Honda. "Sorry, I was dazed." he said rather embarrassed, though he wasn't sure why. Gently he rubbed the back of his head with his hand and smiled quickly.

Otogi snickered to himself then playfully leaned close to Jounouchi's face and pressed a finger to the blonde's nose and said "You know, I'm way cuter than Kaiba." stifling more laughter he leaned back and winked.

Jounouchi held his breath and slowly glared at Otogi, the boys face was filled to be what seemed to be pride. "What're you talkin' about?" Jounouchi snapped, he felt his face heat up. Otogi had some nerve, he was too cocky for his own good. He watched a sly smirk crawl on to the black haired boy's confident face.

"Oh nothing." Otogi teased. Jounouchi rolled his eyes and then smiled "Otogi, you wish you were cuter than Kaiba." he said with a prideful tone, he watched Otogi's smirk disappear from his face within' an instant.

Honda snorted with laughter "Shut down! You know, you are too much of a tease." he said as he smiled as the black haired boy.

"I'm not shut down, I could say something if I wanted to." Otogi said smoothly, while delicately folding his arms.

Jounouchi laughed "So, what're you all doing after school? I figured we were gonna do something." he looked around the table waiting for a reply.

"I'm not sure I can do anything tonight. I got to help Grandpa sort some new inventory." Yugi said in disappointment.

Otogi looked at Honda and then at Jounouchi, "Me and Honda had some plans, I was going to his place to help him with some stuff.".

Jounouchi sighed "So I'm drinkin' alone?" he already knew the answer but it was something to ask anyway.

"No way, you're not drinking alone.." Honda snapped "I won't let you." he gave Jounouchi a hard look.

"You'll be busy with Pretty Boy." the blonde snorted "You can't watch me and fuck around with him." he jived.

Honda glared at Jounouchi "Want to bet? Jou, it isn't too smart of an Idea. What if you drink too much?" he said as calmly as he could.

Jounouchi sighed "I know my limitations." he looked at Honda and nodded slightly.

"If you fuck up, I'll hurt you." Honda snarled "I'm still not happy with it." he placed his head in his right hand and sighed.

Otogi curled his hair with a finger and calmly said "He's a big boy, he can handle it. I'm sure he's not as reckless as he projects himself to be."

The black haired boy stood from his seat and glanced at Honda "We should head for our last class." he beckoned Honda to the cafeteria doors.

Honda nodded and waved to Yugi and Jounouchi, then walked out of sight.

"Don't take Honda to hard, he just worries about you." Yugi said happily.

Jounouchi spun his head and nodded at Yugi "I know but, he's like my goddamn mother.." he said angrily.

The spiky haired boy smiled faintly "Don't drink too much.." he said slowly.

The blonde smirked and nodded, carefully he glanced over at Kaiba, who was getting up from his seat and leaving the cafeteria.

Yugi rose from his chair and looked at Jounouchi, "Well, I'll see you tomorrow okay?" he said in a peppy tone.

Jounouchi looked back at Yugi "Sure thing." he said quickly.

The spiky haired boy smiled and walked out, heading for his next class.

Jounouchi stretched, thank god that the end of his school day had finally bloomed, he could relax and drink to his hearts content. He strode from Domino High School and headed for his relaxing spot. As he approached it he could hear the sound of cars slowly vanish in the distance, he took a deep breath and then exhaled while reached in his backpack for his bottle of alcohol, he needed this drink after a stressful day. He took a small sip, letting the drink slide down his throat. Abruptly he stopped, staring a head of him, Kaiba sat on the ground and leaned against a tree quietly with his eyes closed. His face seemed to hold a pleasant happy expression, which was actually weirding Jounouchi out. He'd never really seen Kaiba just smiling just for the sake of it, usually when he smiled it was because he thought he'd whip Yugi at Duel Monsters for once. "What're you doin' here?" Jounouchi said curiously. Kaiba seemed to be pretending that Jounouchi wasn't even there, his face remained calm though the smile shrunk a bit, with out a budge his eyes remained shut and he against the tree. The blonde shrugged and continued for the tree, being sure not to touch Kaiba, he sat inches away from him, taking sips of his beverage every few minutes. He was sort of cute in this lighting Jounouchi thought as he took a another swig. "So, you gonna answer me?" the blonde smoothly said, turning his head to face Kaiba.

Kaiba opened an eye and looked at Jounouchi, "What do you want?" he snapped.

Jounouchi rolled his eyes "Awfully crabby aren't you?" he snapped back.

The brunette scowled, even when he did this his face still seemed to be perfect "Piss off." he closed his eyes again and breathed deeply.

Jounouchi smiled, the buzz of alcohol made him feel a little silly "I'll take that as a yes." he chortled.

Kaiba sighed "You stink like alcohol.." he said, clearly annoyed.

"Well I am drinking it." Jounouchi said sarcastically; wagging the bottle next to Kaiba's face.

The brunette opened his eyes and looked at Jounouchi angrily. His eyes were an amazing blue, they seemed almost angelic.

The blonde found it hard to stop gazing in to them.

"You're creeping me out.." Kaiba snarled.

The blonde smirked "They're nice." he said slowly.

Kaiba raised an eyebrow "My eyes?" he said in an unsure tone as he watched Jounouchi nod. The brunette shuddered "Get the fuck away from me!" he snapped.

Jounouchi laughed, "Awww" he said childishly "Am I making you uncomfortable?" he watched Kaiba's eyes grow cold. Smiling he inched towards Kaiba "Weelll?" he giggled.

The brunette growled "If you come any closer I'll kill you." he glared harshly at the blonde.

Jounouchi smirked "You're kind of cute when you're mad." he said involuntarily while he leaned a little in to Kaiba's face, being sure not to lean too far.

The brunette's face grew dark, menacingly he glared at Jounouchi.

"Would you just take the compliment?" the blonde said cheerfully.

Kaiba raised a brow, he couldn't help but be a little surprised, it wasn't the first time he'd been he hit on by a guy, but he'd never think of Jounouchi to be the type to do it.  
Jounouchi briskly finished the last of his bottle and innocently looked at Kaiba, he felt slightly tipsy, just what he was reaching for. "Well, even if you don't take the compliment." Jounouchi said tilting his head to the side "I'll still think it." he gently threw the empty bottle to the side and relaxed with his shoulder against the tree.

Kaiba smirked, he felt this to be a good time to fuck with Jounouchi's head. Slowly he leaned in to Jounouchi's face stopping just inches from his mouth "You know, you're kind of cute yourself." he mused. The blonde's face filled with color. Kaiba's smirk widened at this "Am I embarrassing you?" he said playfully; swiftly laying a hand on to one of the blondes legs.

Jounouchi blunk stupefied, his heart was pounding, all he could do was stare in to Kaiba's blue eyes.

"Speechless hm?" the brunette said softly "I like it." he teased. Smoothly he grazed his lips on Jounouchi's, just barely being able to taste the alcohol on him.

Jounouchi couldn't speak, he sat still; in shock. He felt Kaiba's breath heat up his lips, he gulped and looked harder in to Kaiba's eyes.

The brunette smiled fiercely "You're breathing heavy." he chimed; watching Jounouchi's eyes glitter, "I honestly can't be turning you on that much." the brunette flirted.

Jounouchi smiled weakly "I'm not gonna lie--" he said quickly, just then he felt his lips press against Kaiba's, the world seemed to blur around him.

Kaiba grasped the back of Jounouchi's head; keeping him in place.

Jounouchi's muscles relaxed somewhat; Kaiba gently licked Jounouchi's lips hinting to the blonde to open his mouth so their tongues could meet, twisting the kiss in to a deep passionate one. The brunette broke the kiss and gazed in to Jounouchi's eyes, they shimmered like a diamond and seemed to be glazed over, giving Jounouchi a dazed expression.

"What was that for?" the blonde said rather half-mindedly.

Kaiba smirked "Like I said, you were kind of cute." slowly his slid his hand off of Jounouchi's leg, "Don't let it get to you though.." he said bitterly.

The blonde stared down, he somehow felt small and submissive. Nothing he was too use to. Bringing his gaze upward a bit, he noticed Kaiba's pants tightened in the seam. A smile spread over his features.

Kaiba raised his eyebrow in confusion to Jounouchi's smile, but he shrugged it off. "You're presence isn't wanted anymore.." the brunette said harshly "but seeing as you're a little tipsy, I'll leave." he smirked once more and rose to his feet, confidently he strode from the tree, leaving Jounouchi with mixed feelings.


	2. Chapter 2

**[A/N]: It seems I've been on an extended hiatus! While I browsed my own stories, I realized that I had left one unfinished, and so I intend to complete it! My sincerest apologies go to anyone who read the first chapter and hoped for more… I will finish it. I swear! .**

**To any new readers, I hope you enjoy it!**

**That being said, I will do my best to update every so often, and I look forward to reading any comments and your reviews!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from Yu-Gi-Oh.**

That awful noise; that wretched, unforgiving sound drilling incessantly into his mind had to stop. It was like a chanting choir, and it seemed to grow louder by the second, unwilling to stop for even a moment.

_Beep, beep, beep…_

Jonouchi groaned and rolled onto his side, swinging his arm over in one swift movement to slam down on his alarm clock's snooze button. Finally… after those excruciating seconds, it had ceased. He gave a sigh of relief and slumped into his mattress, his arm now dangling lifelessly over the side of his bed.

The morning light was already peering in through his blinds, spilling into the room and threatening to make its way up onto his bed. As much as he didn't wish to move, Jonouchi saw it as an inevitable evil. If he didn't get out of bed himself, then he could count on his mother to do it.

He opened his eyes and squinted, casting a glance at his alarm clock, of which stated that it was 7:24am. Thusly, he rolled himself out of bed and began preparations for his day: a shower, clothes and some breakfast.

It wasn't until he set off for school that his mind wandered to the brief period of time he had spent with a certain Mr. Seto Kaiba after classes had ended. He mulled it over, replaying each second that had transpired between them in his mind.

He had been too flimsy due to his beverage yesterday to precisely gauge Kaiba's behaviour and what had happened. Surely Kaiba had not been sincere? That would be utterly ridiculous.

If Jonouchi had to be honest, he felt like a fool. It was one thing to admire Kaiba from afar in the cafeteria, during classes or upon spotting him at the mall, but to bluntly flirt with him, as well as throw compliments at him mindlessly, was humiliating.

This little fondness he felt for Kaiba was never something he had seriously thought of acting on, and now it was a given that Seto Kaiba had some idea about Jonouchi's feelings towards him.

However, maybe he felt embarrassed about it for relatively nothing. Kaiba wouldn't plant one on him without reason, right? Even if he had, Jonouchi had spotted evidence of Kaiba's enjoyment of the situation.

Jonouchi's brow furrowed in thought. Would it be foolish to consider that Kaiba may return his sentiments? It wasn't as though Kaiba had ever given him a reason to think so. If anything, he was always cold towards him and his friends; he was rude and arrogant.

It was laughable to think that Kaiba had any real friends; the guy ate his lunches alone most of the time anyway. It didn't seem far-fetched to think that the only person that would tolerate Kaiba was his brother, Mokuba; and vice versa.

Kaiba's reclusiveness wasn't overly surprising to Jonouchi, not when he thought of it in-depth. His arrogance was a family trait. Why wouldn't it be? Kaiba's family owned an important corporation after all.

Jonouchi shook his head slightly. It seemed to him that Kaiba felt his own importance surpassed those of everyone else around him. He couldn't fathom Kaiba's ego inflating any more than it already had. Kaiba was rich, powerful and confident, desired by many – all of which he flatly declined.

A slight smile perked the corners of Jonouchi's mouth, unable to keep from filling with a bit of pride.

Kaiba, the guy who had rejected and refused anyone who had ever made their move on him, had kissed him, Katsuya Jonouchi, a crummy student at Domino High School who (in his own opinion) had nothing special going for him at all.

His grades were mediocre, he wasn't a part of any school clubs, nor did he have any special talents or skills; he wasn't popular, nothing about him was outstanding. Meanwhile, he scored a kiss from Kaiba whilst the head cheerleader last month had gotten shut down, prized with nothing more than a cold stare from the brunette.

Even if Kaiba wasn't smitten with him as he was with Kaiba, it didn't matter. Jonouchi was certain of one fact, that Kaiba at least found him aesthetically appealing.

It wasn't love, but at least it was something. Jonouchi felt his chest swell regardless.

His moment of internal celebration was cut short once he heard his name being called, a sprinting Yugi darting up the street behind him.

Yugi wheezed once he caught up to Jonouchi, clutching onto his friend's sleeve as he gasped for breath.

Jonouchi smirked and reached to yank Yugi upright, a grin on his face, "Sorry, man, I didn't see you at the corner so I kept on goin'." In truth, he had been too wrapped up in his thoughts to have even stopped to consider waiting for Yugi.

Yugi breathed heavily and looked up to Jonouchi, presenting him a forgiving smile, "It's all right. I was late getting out anyway! I had to find a way to pack the flower I got for Anzu's birthday today, didn't want it crushed."

Jonouchi chuckled, giving Yugi a light slap on the back, "A rose, right? You're such a dork."

Yugi flushed immediately and waved his hand at Jonouchi defensively, granted that his friend had been correct about the flower being a rose, "It's just one! I didn't buy her an entire bouquet or anything."

Yugi had had an obvious crush on Anzu for years; it something everyone and their grandmother knew. Anzu, on the other hand, seemed to be a bit oblivious to the whole thing. Either that or she didn't know how to put him down easy and was biding her time.

Jonouchi gave his friend a reassuring pat, "Just teasin' you, man. I'm sure she'll love it."

It had crossed his mind to tell Yugi about what had happened with Kaiba yesterday afternoon, but he left it as a fleeting thought, deciding that it was best to keep to himself for the time.

If anything, he wanted to dig for any extra evidence towards his claim of Kaiba finding him attractive. He would have time for that during the school hours. Interrogating Kaiba was an item on Jonouchi's list of things to do that was sure to be interesting.

Together he and Yugi pressed on toward Domino High School.


	3. Chapter 3

Kaiba had always been an early riser, often finding himself awake even before the birds had the chance to sing their morning tunes. It was a habit he had formed early on in his childhood; he had always been awake before his parents stirred, roaming about house in the dim morning light in enjoyable solitude.

He had always relished his morning escapades through the quiet hallways as a child, and even to this day Kaiba found pleasure in it. It was a bit more difficult to do nowadays, what with Mokuba becoming quite the early riser as well, but nonetheless, Kaiba took advantage of the opportunity when it arose.

The sun was barely peeking over the horizon when Kaiba found himself lying awake in bed and for a while he remained still, eyes closed, listening to the silence that had overtaken his house during the hours of the night.

The morning was typical at best; Kaiba took his time in completing his morning rituals and set time aside to organize his belongings for the day of school ahead of him.

Not only was Kaiba early with his mornings, but he had made it a habit to be that way with just about everything else. This went in regard to his school work as well. He had formed the habit of being rather studious with his work, continuously completing each project well before its set deadline.

Consequently, there was a class project being assigned today. He remembered this from last week and had already appropriated a topic for said project, having spent time to plan it out over the last week. It was hardly difficult to execute a suitable topic for such an easy class: History.

The object of the upcoming project was to select a country of choice and research its history and culture. He had chosen Sweden, though not for any discernible reason. He simply felt that the country had stood out to him, as he knew very little about it.

As a result of Kaiba's previously mentioned habit, he often left for school at an early hour as well.

Today, he would spend his time before class researching the final details about his chosen country. He sat himself at a computer terminal and went to work.

The time ticked away efficiently and by the time Kaiba had added the final touches to his rough sketch of research, he had ten minutes to waste before needing to reach his first class. Diligently, he packed his things into his backpack and shut off the computer at his terminal, all before setting off for the classroom.

Bypassing his locker, he turned and ascended the stairs, moving up through the stairwell and to the second floor, parading down the hallway to his destination.

Kaiba peered in through the door, though he didn't particularly expect many of his classmates would have already arrived; it seemed to him that a majority of them found enjoyment in being late each and every day.

As he expected, only a handful of students were already seated; the rest would be in minutes after the bell for class had already rang. He strode in through the door and took his seat, setting his bag down on the floor next to his desk.

As predicted when the class bell rang, students began trickling in from the hallway. The teacher sat at his desk and watched the door intently, obviously accustomed to waiting for all the stragglers to finally find their way to the classroom.

Unlike Jonouchi, Kaiba never found his mind occupied that morning by the events of the previous day. His mind did not waver from the task he had set out for himself that morning; it had been perfectly focused.

That is until Jonouchi himself slipped through the classroom door, Yugi close behind him. It wasn't that Kaiba didn't remember what had occurred between them, he simply didn't care much for it, and so it wasn't something to think about or dwell on. He stared Jonouchi down and watched as the blonde shuffled his way between desks to reach his own, the corner of his mouth pulled back ever so slightly.

As Jonouchi maneuvered through the seats shot a glance back at Kaiba, firing off a playful wink at him before turning away to take his seat.

Kaiba had by his time been pretending not to not Jonouchi, his eyes focused on a focal point of the whiteboard at the front of the room. Though this reaction was hardly unexpected by Jonouchi.

Kaiba's attention immediately altered to his teacher upon seeing him stand to address the class.

The man was always well dressed, sharp, polished and clean. It seemed he owned a different tie for each new day, some flashier than others. His suits were well-kept and when at school one would never see him in anything else.

Teacher stood and observed the class for a moment, before clearing his throat in attempt to gather everyone's attention. Upon achieving this, he began, "I know I had promised to give you all your information regarding the class project. A vital piece of information you all may wish to know is that for this project in particular, I have assigned partners."

It was then that the entire class simultaneously gave a groan of disapproval, which ended abruptly once their teacher had held his hand up to them.

Kaiba in particular was displeased by this news. Having a partner to deal and work with on a project always proved to be too much of a hassle. Not only was his partner usually someone he would prefer not to associate with, but project partners also threatened his work being finished in a timely matter. However, at this point he had learned to simply work on the project alone, should his partner fail to deliver, and hand it in with only his name on its record.

Kaiba watched the teacher intently, listening to his rattle off the names of project partners. He reclined in his seat some and folded his arms, waiting to hear his own name called.

Though once he heard it, his heart sank further than it normally would have.

"Seto Kaiba and Katsuya Jonouchi, you are paired for this assignment," is what he had heard fall from the teacher's mouth.

It hardly helped the matter to see Jonouchi swivel his head around to look at him with a large, dopey grin on his face.

Kaiba returned the favour by casting a mild glare in Jonouchi's directly, before averting his gaze to the front of the room once again.

It was obvious, the world was seeking to punish him.


	4. Chapter 4

**[A/N]: It's a bit late, but better late than never, right? I'm just glad to have gotten this chapter done and written!**

**Reviews are definitely appreciated!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, nor any of its characters!**

Jonouchi had gone through the rest of his school day floating on a cloud of bliss and excitement. It seemed that his life was steadily improving, bit by bit: Kaiba was his project partner.

He made his way through the cramped hallways, guiding himself towards his locker and inevitably the group of friends he had who were always buzzing around that vicinity.

As Jonouchi approached his locker he spotted only Otogi and Honda, though it did make sense as Anzu and Yugi's lockers were further down the hall.

Honda leaned away from the locker once he spotted Jonouchi and waved, waiting until the blonde got closer before proceeding to speak, "Hey, are you still up for hanging out tonight?"

Jonouchi gave a curt nod as he spun the dial on his lock and opened his locker, "Yeah, why? Didn't know I appeared all that busy."

A bit of a smirk spread across Honda's face and he leaned closer to Jonouchi, eyes squinted, "Well, you know, I figured you might be sort of busy, you gettin' partnered with Kaiba and what not."

Honda's comment warranted a snicker from Otogi and a stared from Jonouchi, who seemed less than impressed by his friend's taunting.

"So, are you busy or what?" Honda said, wearing an impish expression.

Jonouchi snorted and closed his locker, "I guess I will be busy come time to work on the project. I'm not exactly sure what's so damn amusing about that though…" He looked from Honda to Otogi and back, arms crossed.

Otogi waved his hand slightly, "Ah, don't worry about it. Honda's just trying to be a pest, that's all."

Honda scoffed at this.

Jonouchi shrugged, turning his attention back to Honda, "Yeah, that's not surprising; it's what he was born to do."

He turned his attention down the hall to notice Anzu heading their way, Yugi in tow.

More importantly, she was clutched the rose that Yugi had shown him this morning.

Jonouchi grinned at Yugi and leapt away from the locker to sling an arm around his shoulder, "Such a gentlemen, aren't ya?" he teased.

Yugi's eyes widened and he smiled awkwardly, shrugging wordlessly.

Anzu extended the rose toward Jonouchi's face and twirled it, a smile on her lips, "Don't poke fun at him; he's the only one of you lot that even bothered to say happy birthday yet!"

All three boys, Jonouchi, Honda, and Otogi exchanged glances before simultaneously chirping, "Happy Birthday!" together.

Anzu smiled and waved her rose at them, "Suck ups…"

She then carefully tucked it into the backpack and slung it over her shoulders.

"So, you're going to be a busy boy for the next couple of weeks!" she said, eyes on Jonouchi.

Jonouchi crinkled his nose, "You're all making it sound like some kind of death sentence."

Anzu giggled and shrugged slightly, "It might be for you! Kaiba's a top tier student; he finishes his work on time and it's always done so well. Honestly, I don't think I've ever seen him score a bad grade."

Jonouchi raised his shoulders defensively, knowing exactly what his friend was getting at, "Yeah, so?"

Honda leaned closer and murmured to him, though it was still loud enough for all to hear, "She's calling you lazy."

Anzu shot Honda and look and then turned her attention back to Jonouchi, "All I'm saying is that compared to Kaiba's record, yours isn't really up to par."

Otogi smirked, "Meaning that Kaiba's probably going to whip you into shape…" he paused, an eyebrow arching, "Or he'll leave you lying in a ditch and finish the project on his own."

Jonouchi furiously waved his hand at Otogi, almost as if he were swatting the guy, "No one asked for your opinion!"

"Speak of the devil…" Yugi interjected, pointing down the hall.

The group of friends all followed Yugi's warning and looked down the hall.

Kaiba was on an immediate path for the group, a folder clutched in one hand.

The way he was moving toward them gave him an air of urgency, as though he were tasked with an important mission.

Honda snickered, muttering coherently to Otogi, loud enough for the group to hear, "You're right, he's going to leave Jonouchi in a ditch…"

Jonouchi had enough time to cast the duo a glare before the sound of Kaiba clearing his throat assaulted his ears.

Jonouchi spun his attention forward and met Kaiba's cold, stern gaze.

"Uh, hey…" he said, a bit awkwardly, amazed that within seconds of Kaiba approaching him, he seemed to feel trapped.

Kaiba grunted and held out the folder toward Jonouchi, "This is for you; it's information on the project you'll be assisting me with."

After he finished speaking, the corner of Kaiba's mouth drew back, making him look all the more unimpressed.

Jonouchi eyed the folder for a moment and nodded, reaching to take it.

Kaiba glanced quickly at the group watching him before returning his attention to Jonouchi, "Look through it and make sure you understand it by Monday. It's not difficult to grasp, so I'm sure even you won't have much trouble with it."

Jonouchi blinked a few times and scoffed, casting a brief glance down at the folder in his hands, "Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'm not an idiot." He looked back toward Kaiba and smiled, "Don't worry about it, smarty-pants."

Kaiba raised an eyebrow slightly and snorted, the corner of his mouth drawing back further, "Right."

And without another word Kaiba spun on his heel and continued down the hall, leaving Jonouchi to stare blankly at the folder in his possession.

Anzu made a face and looked over her shoulder, watching Kaiba disappear in the sea of students, "That was unpleasant."

Yugi followed her gaze, nose wrinkled. "But not surprising."

Jonouchi shrugged and eyed the folder a moment longer. "Whatever."

Honda reached over and slapped his hand onto Jonouchi's shoulder. "We'll see you in a few hours, then?"

Jonouchi grinned, offering the brunette a firm nod, "Of course! I've got all weekend to look whatever this is over anyway, right? No biggie."

Honda grinned and moved away from the locker, "Great, see you all later!" He turned and proceeded down the hall.

"Later!" Otogi chirped, moving quickly to catch up to Honda.

Jonouchi waved good-bye to Anzu and Yugi, proceeding down the hall himself.

Upon arriving home he headed up the stairs to his bedroom and slapped the folder down onto his desk.

Plopping himself down into his hair he stared at the folder, deciding after a moment that taking a peak at what was provided for him wouldn't be a bad idea.

He opened the folder and was greeted with a pile of papers. His eyes widened slightly at the accumulation there seemed to be and he began to skim through them.

Sweden was their esteemed topic, so it seemed. To Jonounchi's relief much of the papers were notes that Kaiba had already gathered.

Though, his relief sank when he discovered the paper listing the various points that he was expected to research and record.

Kaiba seriously expected him to research this much? No wonder he was a straight 'A' student; the guy went above and beyond, apparently.


	5. Chapter 5

**[A/N]: I was determined to get this chapter out before I went away for the weekend and I did it! 8D Kudos to me! There's not a lot going on yet, but it'll come in future chapters, I promise you! It's all about build up, RIGHT?**

**Reviews would be appreciated muchly.**

**-Confetti-**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the characters! Never will, nope.**

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The time he had spent overviewing his work load seemed to tick away at the speed of light because by the time Jonouchi looked away from his computer and his half-assed research it was already well after 5 o'clock.

5:45PM to be exact.

He was going to be late.

With haste Jonouchi sprung to his feet and bounded down the stairs, hauling his jacket from the coat rack and exiting through the front door in a flash lest he be accosted by his parents and their nosy inquisitions.

Though he wondered how, by now, his parents could still question where he was headed.

To him it seemed rather obvious that he spent his Friday's out with his friends, eating supper, goofing off or just plainly sitting around playing video games. Often times they'd all wind up sleeping over at Yugi's.

It had been this way for a couple of years now.

However, much to Jonouchi's dismay, he knew that if he was going to get some of his demanded research done for Kaiba, he was going to have to ditch early and make his way to the library.

Kaiba's notes claimed that the project had to have at least three text references, meaning research via the computer was off-limits.

He didn't even have a library card.

And with a sudden realization he stopped dead in his tracks to check his watch; it was 6 o'clock on the dot and, of course, the library closed at 7 o'clock on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Jonouchi groaned and dragged his hand down his face, aggravated beyond belief. He would never be able to live this one down, already able to hear Honda's irritating, unwanted remarks.

Emitting an agitated growl, Jonouchi pivoted and turned around, startling a couple who had been passing him.

He would have to apologize to Anzu profusely later for missing her birthday. It didn't all seem like a total loss because he'd forgotten her present at home due to his haste.

* * *

6:20PM.

He had minimal time to acquire a library card and search for any appropriate books on his subject, but at least he made it.

He poked his head through the front doors and surveyed the area.

It was reasonably stocked with people who were either, reading, browsing the shelves or taking advantage of the libraries computers. They all seemed to be melded into what they were doing, each set of eyes focused solely on the task at hand.

To his left were a multitude of kiosks, though only one was occupied by what was obviously the only librarian on duty; and, of course, she had a line.

Jonouchi felt his spirits sink even lower as he made his way toward the line-up, standing at the very rear of it.

There had to be at least eight people.

How long did signing up for a library card even take?

He couldn't help but feel that Lady Luck was laughing at him somewhere. Or maybe she'd simply forgotten about him. Either seemed likely at this point; if she had forgotten about him, she would certainly enjoy his misfortune upon noticing him once again.

How cruel.

Jonouchi could have sworn that time was going in slow motion, like the entire world had been doused in cold molasses—or at least his mind.

What had felt like nearly forever went by before Jonouchi heard the librarian shout, "Next!"

Jostled into motion, he approached the kiosk, meeting the eyes of an old (and seemingly cranky) woman.

Her squinting eyes hid behind a large pair of glasses of which were shamelessly ornamented by rhinestones. Her hair was an odd colour, grey with a hint of 'not-quite-blue'; it was pulled back into a tight bun. Lastly was her thin mouth which was pursed into a severe line.

Over all, she didn't look too sociable. She seemed like the sort who would whip out a wooden spoon from her bottomless handbag and swat at her grandchildren for misbehaving.

"What can I help you with?" was her next line.

Jonouchi could feel her eyes boring into the very core of his soul.

"I was looking to get a library card," he said, matter-of-factly.

She nodded and leaned back in her chair to open a drawer, "I.D.?"

Jonouchi must have looked confused because she looked up from her task and sighed before explaining.

"You're required to have a piece of I.D. in order to acquire a library card, kid…"

Lady Luck was indeed laughing at him, amused by his calamities of the day.

"Come back when you've got a piece of I.D." she said coldly, "I'm too busy to sit here and watch you gape like a fish."

If Jonouchi's spirits weren't already crushed into a fine powder, he might've retorted, defended himself. But, he knew it would be useless to argue with the woman; he'd only make himself look like a jackass in the end.

Reluctantly, Jonouchi relinquished himself from the line-up.

When he came back tomorrow, he hoped she was still here because he was going to choke her with his I.D.

His irritation was only increasing in volume. Not only had he wasted his time poking about in the library, he had missed Anzu's birthday and rendered himself vulnerable to relentless teasing.

Maybe this was why he didn't try to do school work; it seemed like every time he tried something would go horribly wrong. It seemed like a lot less effort to just coast on by.

If he had gotten partnered with anyone other than Kaiba, then he'd of continued that habit. He didn't understand why he was suddenly putting in effort—failed effort, but effort nonetheless.

Stupid Kaiba and his stupid project; it was his entire fault.

Kaiba, that was it; he was bound to have books on the subject.

Screw the library! He was going to high-tail his way to Kaiba's house, unexpectedly.

As Jonouchi saw it, his suffering was caused by Kaiba and his project, and so he would deliver suffering to Kaiba. An eye for an eye, right?

He glanced down at his watch for the thousandth time today.

It was 6:40PM.

It was somewhat late, but his plan was set. He was going to Kaiba's house.


	6. Chapter 6

**[A/N]: Another chapter down the chute and ready to be read! \o/ **

**I'm piling up more and more ideas for this fanfic, which excites me... oh yes. I like having plans for future chapters, I do, I do.  
**

**Thanks to everyone who's been keeping watch on this fanfic! It helps, it really does.  
**

**I'd love reviews, thoughts, comments. Be sure to keep that in mind!  
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**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!, nor any of its characters.  
**

* * *

Lady Luck, thou art heartless.

Truly.

It was quarter after 7 o'clock by the time Jonouchi had managed to reach the home of Seto Kaiba. The amount of time he spent getting to Kaiba's house would not have been a problem if it had not begun to rain on his way there.

As a result, Jonouchi was drenched, soaked to the bone. His clothes clung to him uncomfortably and his hair stuck to his face.

He felt as though he were part of a movie.

_Well, it can't get any worse._

These fabled words were the last thing to go through Jonouchi's mind as he treaded the streets. Not but a few minutes later did the first rain drop hit the pavement, and then it poured.

Relentlessly.

His being saturated did little to improve his mood, and so after approaching the mansion's iron gates five minutes were spent arguing his case to the man on the other side of intercom.

Said man seemed perfectly content to leave Jonouchi locked outside of said gates.

If Jonouchi hadn't been certain there would be a few unpleasant guard dogs awaiting him, ready to tear out his throat, he would have opted to simply climb the damn thing.

However, before he had any time to seriously consider such an intrusive thing, the man on the intercom relinquished and the gates of Kaiba's guarded abode were opened, granting him access to the enormous walkway that lead to the front door of the oversized home.

It was a sight to behold; this place was like nothing Jonouchi had ever seen before, and it struck a chord of envy within him.

The entire setup was spacious: the yard, walkway and home itself.

Decorating the yard were various plants. Bushes and beds of well-kept flowers bordered the walkway, leading all the way up to the staircase at the front of the stupendous mansion. The mansion even had foliage clung to it; cascades of ivy had climbed the walls.

A few fairly large trees dotted the landscape, each being large enough to sit beneath comfortably in the shade it would most certainly provide.

The mansion itself was enormous, a definite display of money and power.

Jonouchi could not help but feel insignificant amidst the scenery.

No wonder Kaiba was so haughty and full of himself. Hell, if Jonouchi owned a home like this, he might be too.

If Jonouchi had to be honest, this place intimidated him. If he didn't already feel insignificant in comparison to Kaiba, then seeing his spacious home definitely served to imbed that feeling of insignificance into him.

And this was only the outside. The interior of Kaiba's home still awaited Jonouchi, and he was sure that it would only triple his feeling of a lowly status.

Jonouchi climbed the front steps and raised a hand to press the doorbell. It did not take long before a finely dressed man answered the door; he wore a black suit, neatly tailored to fit. Said man was older, the hair at his temples having greyed with age, though the rest of his hair was a faded brown.

He looked at Jonouchi with an air of disdain, the corner of his lip slightly curled.

Jonouchi stared the man in the eye and stood up straight, at least attempting to appear confident.

"I'm here to see Seto Kaiba. I have business with him," Jonouchi said, trying to as sound 'matter-of-fact' as he could.

He was reward with a simple stare and derisive snort from the man at the door.

This did little to improve Jonouchi's mood. After his poor time management, the librarian, the rain and begging his way past the front gates, he did not think he could take much more; and arguing his way inside Kaiba's house would be the last and final straw.

Jonouchi stared back at the man at threshold, casually moving to fold his arms in an attempt to look stern, "You gonna let me in or what?"

Before the well-dressed man had time to formulate an answer, Jonouchi heard an all too familiar voice—it was mildly uplifting considering the circumstance.

"What are you doing? Who's at the door?" Kaiba barked as he marched his way to the door, the well-dressed man moving aside almost instantly.

As soon as the well-dressed man had moved, Jonouchi raised a hand and waved with a slight, albeit probably dopey, grin on his face. After all he had been through today, seeing Kaiba coming to his rescue was a major improvement.

Kaiba stopped a few feet from the door, eyes locking with Jonouchi's. He immediately sneered and shot a look at the well-dressed servant to his left, "You did not inform me of this visitor…"

The tone Kaiba used suggested that he was less than impressed.

The well-dressed man turned toward Kaiba and bowed his head apologetically, "I apologize Mr. Kaiba; I was about to call for you."

Kaiba waved a dismissive hand at the servant, indicating that he was no longer needed at the sight. The well-dressed man's lip curled back slightly, yet again, showing his displeasure with the situation, though he said nothing in return; he just watched Kaiba, defeated.

"Next time do it swiftly. I don't have the time to wait for you to play your foolish mind-games with arriving guests."

It made Jonouchi feel better watching the well-dressed man bow deeply and turn to skulk away into an unknown part of the mansion, knocked down a few pegs. He got less than what he deserved anyway.

So far his visit to Kaiba's home had felt rather successful. He was at the front door, out of the rain for the most part, Kaiba had rescued him from the uncouth servant, and he got to witness said servant be put in his place.

Better that guy than him.

"Why are you here?"

The sound of Kaiba's stern voice pulled Jonouchi back to reality. He looked at the brunette and gave a shy grin, rubbing a hand through his damp hair, "Project stuff, you know?"

Kaiba snorted, an eyebrow arching, "You have questions, I assume?"

He didn't seem very pleased with the idea, but Jonouchi felt comfort in seeing that Kaiba didn't look any surlier than he usually did.

Jonouchi nodded, "Yeah, yeah, I do. Are you going to keep me out here? It's cold and I'm already soaked to the bone, ya know." He was pulling at strings, but he had at least some hope that Kaiba might show some hospitality, even if it wasn't likely to last long.

Kaiba's expression hardened and he folded his arms, back straightened, almost as though he were looking down upon Jonouchi, "I should have known you would have difficulties this early in the project," he paused, his eyes boring into Jonouchi with fierce intensity.

Jonouchi fidgeted slightly, not letting his gaze move from Kaiba's. "It's your grade riding on this, too. Are you gonna let me in or not?" He continued to stare back at Kaiba, still focused on the brunette's cold blue eyes.

Admittedly, he was kind of admiring them. It was difficult not to; he didn't get to see them this closely all too often, and like hell if he wasn't going to take advantage of this rare chance—even if he had gotten to see them up-close recently.

But they were strangely attractive.

They were a severe set of eyes, fierce enough to stop a prowling lion from pouncing. Icy blue orbs that seemed to pierce the soul of everyone and everything Kaiba looked at. It kind of gave Jonouchi a bit of a thrill, staring into them.

A grunt could be heard from Kaiba, pulling Jonouchi back to the cusp of reality yet again, and his lovely eyes flared with mild irritation. "Unfortunately," he muttered, only just loud enough for it to be audible to Jonouchi.

And with that Kaiba relented and stepped aside, opening space in the threshold and granting Jonouchi entry into him home—which was something that Jonouchi never dreamed of happening.

A successful visit so far, indeed. The moment Kaiba stepped aside, Jonouchi's heart swelled a little, a mix of pride and delight.

With an extra spring in his step, Jonouchi gladly entered Seto Kaiba's home.


	7. Chapter 7

**[A/N]: I think this may be the longest chapter I've ever posted. That's something worthy of a celebration, isn't it?!**

**Yes, yes it is!  
**

**Again, thank you to all who are following this story!  
**

**And thank you to those who've reviewed!  
**

**I like reviews, simple comments, thoughts...  
**

**Reviews are greatly appreciated!  
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**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!, nor any of its characters!  
**

* * *

Jonouchi had been right, the interior of Kaiba's home only served to boost his feeling of insignificance. Everything inside looked new, state of the art; if Jonouchi broke anything, he was certain that he could never pay Kaiba back. He would be forced into servitude for the rest of his natural born life just to compensate for the value.

The foyer was large, expansive, and separated off into three different sections. Two hallways were to either side and a large staircase was located many, many feet behind Kaiba. It looked as though Kaiba had gone and stolen the house from someone in the very distant future.

Everything was shiny, save for the plants that were peppered throughout the lobby, probably (if Jonouchi had to guess) to make it look more habitable and less like a metallic. His reflection could be seen in the polished floor. If he wasn't already envious before, he certainly was now.

Kaiba had made his way across the foyer before Jonouchi realized he was falling behind, and quickly he sprinted to catch up, following the brunette down a hallway, both walking in silence.

Being there made him feel somewhat excited, like a child in a candy store.

The pair continued to walk on in silence down the corridor, of which seemed to go on and over forever, window after window passing by; it felt to Jonouchi like they were walking on the spot, destined to go nowhere, and despite Jonouchi's desire to pipe up and strike a conversation with Kaiba, he thought better of it. He was sure that Kaiba would start the conversation first once he was ready to do so.

After what felt like an eternity to Jonouchi, Kaiba paused at a large steely door equipped with a key-panel just off to the side. A few swift taps on the keys and an audible click could be heard, signifying that the door had been unlocked.

It became clear to Jonouchi once he had stepped inside that this room was none other than Kaiba's personal office. A desk with a large and fancy computer lay centered toward the back of the room, a large abstract painting hanging on the wall behind it. Shelves upon shelves of what looked like books, records and files were laid about on either side of the room, labeled and all. Everything looked neat and orderly, not a thing out of place.

Jonouchi found it impressive. He had known that whilst partaking in school Kaiba managed to successfully run his own business, the Kaiba Corporation, though he had never taken the time to consider what running a business and balancing schoolwork would take from a person.

It made Jonouchi wonder how Kaiba even **managed** to balance his company and schoolwork.

Perhaps he had someone he paid to do it? He certainly had the expenses to do such a thing. Though, after further thought on the matter, Jonouchi felt that it wasn't in Kaiba's nature to pawn his work off on others.

To him it seemed that Kaiba prided himself on his work and efforts. He was far too cocky and proud to allow someone else do his work for him. Kaiba would probably find the idea to be insulting.

In the meanwhile, Kaiba had taken his seat at his desk, his gaze fixed intently on the pondering blonde in the center of the room.

It was not but a moment later that Jonouchi heard the distinctive sound of Kaiba clearing his throat, almost expectantly. Yet again Jonouchi's musings were torn from beneath him by Kaiba.

Kaiba seemed to have a habit of doing that.

"Huh?" Jonouchi looked at Kaiba with a dumbfounded expression, of which did not seem to impress Kaiba much, the usual scowl on his face expanding a tad bit.

Kaiba let forth a sigh, his cold blue eyes boring into Jonouchi, "I had expected you to tell me your issue, unless you concocted the idea purely as an excuse to come here. It wouldn't surprise me, really…" He leaned forward on his desk and laced his fingers together.

Jonouchi scoffed and waved his hand at the brunette for emphasis, "What makes ya think I'd go and do that? Don't flatter yourself, Kaiba!"

Half the reason Jonouchi was here was to see Kaiba, admittedly, but that was nothing the brunette needed to know for himself. Jonouchi wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing it. That aside, he truly did need help with their project. He folded his arms across his chest, looking at Kaiba with a stern stare—though it was nothing in comparison to Kaiba's.

"I came here about the project, remember?" He straightened himself up and puffed out his chest in an attempt to appear assertive of the matter. Though, all this moving around only made him more aware of his cold, damp clothes, of which were clinging and sticking to his arms, legs, chest and back. His assertive stance may have had an inkling of discomfort as well, something that was sure to sabotage how Kaiba saw this attitude.

Kaiba stared at Jonouchi evenly, seemingly indifferent of Jonouchi's attempted confidence. His demeanour remained the same as it had been, unchanging like Jonouchi had half hoped it might. Instead Kaiba drew back the corner of his mouth and sneered, a look at sent a shiver of uneasiness through Jonouchi.

It was foolish of Jonouchi to think that he could away Kaiba in any way, and though knew this to be true, he figured the attempt was still worth it.

"And what about the project brought you here?" Kaiba asked flatly, despite the mildly agitated and displeased expression painted on his face. Jonouchi was sure that with a face like that Kaiba could manage to put more venom than he had in his words.

Jonouchi's assertive stance deflated ever so slightly, leaving him to feel more like a bug under a microscope than he had previously, "I wanted to know if ya had any books I could use for reference, ya know? I went to the library and it wasn't really helpful…"

This wasn't a total lie; in fact Jonouchi felt confidence in saying it wasn't at all. Sure, he could have gone to the library tomorrow or any day after that, but it was true that the library hadn't been of any help at all. Not to mention the librarian was anything but friendly.

Kaiba leaned back in his chair, his fingers still laced together, "Libraries have vast resources of books; I don't know how you would have failed to find anything of use there."

Jonouchi scoffed and raised his shoulders in a lethargic shrug, "The damn witch of a librarian wouldn't give me a library card, okay? I didn't have time to argue with her. I kinda assumed that you might've gotten books that I could borrow. It'd be fine if I used your books, right? We're project partners and all."

It was then that the pair heard the office door creak.

Both Jonouchi's and Kaiba's attention immediately snapped to the door, the former alarmed and the latter looking rather expectant.

A mop of unkempt raven hair could be seen, along with one inquisitive eye, peering in just past the door.

Kaiba relinquished a sigh and got up from his seat, maneuvering around his desk to make way for the door and the peeping child.

"What is it, Mokuba?" he asked as he reached for the door to pry it open.

Jonouchi turned to face Kaiba and the child, watching the pair in silence.

It was apparent that they were related; they shared similar features, one might call them family traits. It was obvious that Mokuba was considerably younger, and for that matter much shorter as well.

Jonouchi noted that Mokuba was wearing pajamas that looked to be much too big for him; they sagged and floated on his tiny body.

Mokuba gave Jonouchi a wary look before turning back to Kaiba, "I was just going to say good-night before I went upstairs. I couldn't find you anywhere so I guessed you were here."

Kaiba, completely ignorant of Jonouchi's presence at this point, knelt down and adjusted Mokuba's extremely large pajamas. "You don't need anything before bed?"

Jonouchi found it kind of endearing; it was sweet to watch, and he couldn't help the smirk that spread across his face.

Mokuba shook his head with a smile, "Nope, nothing!"

Kaiba nodded and tousled Mokuba's hair as he rose to stand, "Alright, if you're certain, good-night, Mokuba."

"Good-night!" Mokuba waved and turned to leave the room, though not before casting another wary glance in Jonouchi's direction.

Jonouchi merely smiled at the boy, remaining still and quiet otherwise.

Once the kid had left the room, Jonouchi turned his gaze to Kaiba and grinned, "Cute kid brother you've got there."

Kaiba glanced over his shoulder at Jonouchi and snorted, turning his attention away as he closed the office door.

Jonouchi translated this as some form of wordless thanks.

"I guess everyone in your family's got good looks," Jonouchi joked, though he had to admit that Mokuba was an adorable kid; he wouldn't be surprised if Mokuba grew up to be handsome like his brother.

Kaiba turned to face Jonouchi and stared him down, another unimpressed expression settled onto his face.

Finally after a minute of staring one another down, Kaiba scoffed and moved across the room towards the bookshelf, "Somehow I wouldn't put it past you to say something along those lines…"

Jonouchi chuckled and watched Kaiba carefully scan the shelves until he pinpointed the location he'd been after and began carefully pulling books, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Kaiba had set at least two books on the desk, though he seemed to pause and stare into the bookshelf thoughtfully before finally procuring a third, "I say this based on your drunken performance of the other day. After that occurred I can't be bothered to feel surprised by anything you say or do anymore."

Jonouchi blinked, a little surprised that Kaiba had brought such a subject forward. He would have felt embarrassed if not for the fact that Kaiba had been the one to initiate the kiss they had shared.

Though, admittedly he was a little embarrassed nonetheless.

"Hey, hey! Should I say the same about you?" Jonouchi jabbed at Kaiba verbally.

Kaiba turned to look at Jonouchi with a quizzical brow, staring the blonde down, "Why should you say the same about me? There's nothing to say."

Jonouchi sauntered over to Kaiba and leaned into his face, smirking like a fool, "I'll point out that **you** kissed me, remember?"

He felt a little smug pointing this out, like he had inadvertently defeated Kaiba with one powerful punch.

It felt kind of good.

Though Kaiba didn't quite react in the way that Jonouchi had assumed he would. He didn't become angry, nor did he glare at Jonouchi. Instead he scoffed and smirked, overbearing smirk, "I told you not to let that get to your head, didn't I?"

Jonouchi paused for a moment, though he didn't allow this to shake his composure, not so soon, "It hasn't gone to my head, but you did it!" He paused a second time, another triumphant smirk spreading across his face. "Ya even called me cute."

Kaiba snorted derisively at Jonouchi and picked up the three books he had stacked on the desk previously, proceeding to shove them into Jonouchi's chest, "The word certainly doesn't suit you now."

The books hit Jonouchi with some force; he grunted, and luckily was able to catch them in his arms and keep them from falling to the floor.

"As of the moment you're more likely to be told that you're obnoxious," Kaiba sneered, now gesturing towards the office door, "You have what you came for, so if you'd kindly take your leave it would be appreciated."

Jonouchi, unable to help himself, secured another smirk and leaned in closer to the brunette, eyes half-lidded, "And if I came for another kiss? What would you say?"

Kaiba gave Jonouchi a harsh look and scowled, "You're overstaying your welcome."

Jonouchi could see that he had ruffled Kaiba's feathers, though he couldn't exactly say he felt bad about doing it. The expression on the brunette's face was worth it; he looked somewhere between irritated and uncomfortable.

Jonouchi feigned a sigh and pouted, "Alright, alright… maybe next time, huh? I got one serious question though, Kaiba."

Kaiba's expression fell slightly, his eyes narrowing into a mild glare, a hint that he was expecting something just as foolish as previous statements had been.

Jonouchi smiled a little dopily, "No, seriously, I promise. I was gonna say that it's raining pretty bad outside and I didn't want to get the books wet, so..." He paused to inhale through his nose, "Could you give me a lift home?"

He wasn't sure why, but asking this was like a challenge.

Kaiba had said he'd overstayed his welcome, right? Maybe that included making him walk home in the rain, struggling to keep the books from getting wet lest he have to spend hours drying each individual page of each book.

Kaiba snorted, a bit of surprise on his face, though it didn't stay for long before being overshadowed by his former scowl, "Sure…"

* * *

It was the first time that Jonouchi had ever ridden in a limousine.

It suited Kaiba, definitely. A spacious home only meant that he should have an equally spacious automobile. It smelled distinctly of leather and if Jonouchi had felt the desire to, he could've lied down and gone to sleep.

He made it home, books safe and dry and set to work on the project.

It would also be the first time that Jonouchi ever started a project this early, and the first time that he ever put a real amount of effort into it too.

Kaiba saw him as a hopeless and lazy project partner, incapable of pulling through—though why would he blame Kaiba for that? It's not as though he had ever worked hard on any former projects. His grades were minimal.

But after today, he felt that he had something to prove.


	8. Chapter 8

**[A/N]: Another chapter down the hatch! And definitely more to come!**

**I just want to let everyone know that my classes are starting back up this week, and so I ask that you be patient for future chapters as I'll need to find time in between work to write them. I will -definitely- write them, though!** _**Definitely...**__**  
**_

**Again, thank you to those who have been following this story! And to those of you who left reviews~ This means a lot to me, it really does! I love reviews.  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!, nor any of it's characters.  
**

* * *

Jonouchi had painstakingly spent the rest of his weekend slaving away over the class project, stowed away in his room like a hermit, books, papers and his computer all piled around him in a massive pyramid.

He rejected nearly every phone call he got from his friends, each having taken their time to call and input their personal queries; though he had answered the phone for a rather curious Honda, wanting to know if he was interested in going out to the movies with the gang.

His response of was, of course, a decline to said inquiry. He was far too busy and preoccupied, though his heart yearned for a break at the movies.

Honda was, needless to say, surprised by Jonouchi's response; however, he needn't question why Jonouchi had turned him down. He knew exactly what had Jonouchi's undying attention and, as Jonouchi's very good friend, felt it was his duty to tease him

Honda knew very well why Jonouchi was so dedicated to this project, and it all led to a certain Mr. Seto Kaiba and his definite captivation over Jonouchi.

The said teasing involved shameless words and accusations about Jonouchi's marriage to Kaiba via school history project, and how Jonouchi was fulfilling his role of the devoted wife.

It wasn't done out of malice towards Jonouchi; it was simply humour at Jonouchi's expense.

It went without saying that Jonouchi did not respond positively to the teasing, obviously having become flustered by Honda's playful jibes. However, Honda was pleased with the response he had gotten; it was always a delight winding Jonouchi up. He was sure to pay for later though, once he and Jonouchi met up again.

It was totally worth it, though.

Jonouchi hung up with a half-hearted farewell, despite Honda's threats of making a random appearance at his house, invited or not, and furthered his studies and efforts, working until the sun fell in behind the horizon and his head made contact with his desk in a stupor of drowsiness.

* * *

His head felt heavy, fuzzy and clouded from cohesive thought. He could hear a murmur behind him, one that seemed to sound as though it were from someone off in the distance, walls concealing their voice. However, it seemed to be grower louder, more consistent—it getting closer.

Try as he might, Jonouchi could not open his eyes, making him feel a little panicked. He struggled restlessly, fighting to see the person drawing nearer, their voice growing ever louder with every passing second. He felt as though a weight were upon him, pressing him down, leaving him only his sense of sound.

It came nearer still, growing louder though the words were still indistinguishable. It was then that Jonouchi realized this voice was familiar to him. As Jonouchi realized this he began to find the voice more and more pleasant, eager to welcome it and its owner with opening arms. He no longer fretted, feeling instead a surge of relief.

It became clear to Jonouchi that is voice was chanting his name silkily, slowly enunciating each and every syllable, almost rhythmically. It was saying his name in such a way that Jonouchi felt his skin prickle with goose bumps.

He could feel a pair of hands on his shoulders, resting for a brief moment before wandering their way down his arms, slipping under to his sides; they traveled down, down, down, moving steadily over his hips and across his thighs. His breath caught in his throat as one of the intruding hands slid down between his legs, palm flat and pressed to the groin of his trousers.

The chanting relaxed, waning into a deadly silence. Jonouchi struggled further to open his eyes, though he met the same fate as before, doomed to remain blind to his situation. The meddlesome hand cupped him, palm rolling over his groin methodically. A puff of hot breath assaulted his ear and neck, followed by a mutter of his name.

His next realization sent a shockwave of arousal and want coursing through him; he could feel his face burn brilliantly with colour. The desire to open his eyes increased tenfold, want filled him more and more.

It was Kaiba's voice; it was Kaiba's hands roaming, stroking and petting him. Jonouchi wanted to see his face, wanted to look into his icy blue eyes. In fact, he **needed** to. He fought to open his eyes, struggling and writhing against Kaiba's slender hands in his effort. He bucked into the wandering hands, his body burning with need and pleasure.

His eyes snapped open, wide and desperate to be alert of their surroundings. The next realization was much to his dismay.

Jonouchi wearily lifted his head from his desk, a tendril of drool snapping off between his face and the papers he had fallen asleep on. He blearily looked around the room, dazed and confused. His eyes found the assignment papers on the desk, a puddle of drool having dampened one of the pages.

It furthered his dismay to discover that the hand he hand felt petting and massaging him was none other than his own. He hastily pulled said hand away from his groin, offended by having found it there in the first place.

It was one thing to have an intimate dream, but to wake up to being molested by your own hand was another thing.

Jonouchi gave his room a once over before turning his attention to the alarm clock on his nightstand, the bright red numbers displayed the time be to 3:30am. It was late, far too late to finish up the work he had been doing on the project. He would have to finish it tomorrow after school.

After stripping down and shutting the lights off, the blonde made way for his bed, plopping into it like a bag of bricks. It may have been too late for the project, but Jonouchi knew for certain that he wouldn't be able to sleep yet after such a realistic dream; there was something he needed to do first.

He drew his blankets up and his shorts down, face bright from embarrassment and thoughts of Kaiba and his dream racing through his mind.

* * *

The following morning seemed to come all too fast for Jonouchi's liking. His alarm clock was screaming and the sun was peering in through the blinds in his window, illuminating the room much to his disapproval.

His back ached and he felt as though he had only slept a few hours, quite possibly due to having fallen asleep at his desk. Kaiba did not visit him in his dreams for a second time that night, something which disappointed and soothed him.

He started his day slowly, drudgingly getting himself ready for his day at school. He was mentally and physically drained from his non-stop work through on his part of the assignment, not to mention spending half of his night on his desk, rather than his bed.

Getting to school felt like it took much longer than usual, in fact Jonouchi's entire world felt like it was running in slow motion.

He stood at his locker and fumbled with the padlock; it took a few tries before he finally managed to unlock it.

"You're moving like a zombie, is something up?"

Jonouchi nearly jumped out of his skin, whirling his head around to find the source of the voice that had so suddenly spoken to him. It was Honda.

"Heh, no, I'm fine. I was just up working all night, you know?" He pulled the necessary books from his locker and closed it.

Honda shrugged, opening his own locker to do the very same, "More like you've been working all weekend. Did you even take a break?"

Jonouchi chuckled as he slung his backpack over his shoulder, "Of course I did."

The correct answer would have been "no", though Jonouchi didn't see any point in telling Honda otherwise. It wasn't his concern, and Jonouchi, despite feeling exhausted, also very a sense of reward from his hard work and efforts.

Honda grinned slightly as he rooted through his locker; it was then that Jonouchi knew that a fresh dose of teasing was in store for him.

"Ah, you're so diligent for Kaiba; I wish I could train you like that. One project and that guy has got you doing his bidding. It's impressive." Honda closed his locker and looked at Jonouchi, the grin on his face widening ever so slightly.

Jonouchi stared evenly at Honda, resisting the arising temptation to swing his heavy and loaded backpack at him, "Hah, you're hilarious, Honda."

Honda opened his mouth to reply, though he was interrupted by the chiming of the school bell. He hoisted his backpack up and made to turn around, "Well, let me know when the wedding is! I definitely want to come." He waved over his shoulder, looking back if only to see the irritated expression on Jonouchi's face.

Jonouchi shook his head and waved dismissively at Honda, moving to follow them down the hall. That asshole didn't actually think he'd escape did he? After all, they shared the same first class.

It was when Jonouchi got to the classroom that he received a shocking surprise. As his eyes drifted over the many seats of students, he couldn't help but to notice one desk in specific. For the first time in forever Kaiba's desk was empty.

He didn't come to school?


	9. Chapter 9

**[A/N]: I finally got this one up... x_x ****I've been doing my best to work at this where I can find the time, and I think I've done a good job about doing it thus far. 8D Hopefully I can get the next chapter up sooner than I did this one. It's a hope. **

**So much schoolwork...**

**Again, thanks to all who are taking the time to review. I like to know your thoughts and see comments; it helps me!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-oh!, nor any of its characters.**

* * *

The rest of Jonouchi's morning went by in a blur. He couldn't withdraw his thoughts from the strange and highly unusual absence of Kaiba; it was plaguing him. He inadvertently found his attention being drawn to Kaiba's empty desk, staring it down as if looking long enough would cause the brunette in question to magically appear, attentive to the class as always. Though, no such luck was bestowed upon him.

His lunch hour was spent in much silence as he sat with his rowdy friends, the lot of them carrying on as usual; however, both Honda and Yugi took notice to his out of character behaviour. This inevitably caught the attention of both Anzu and Otogi as well, both of whom were now attentive to Jonouchi's quiet demeanour. Jonouchi was fervent in relaying to his friends that he was fine, though no one seemed keen on taking his word for it.

"Are you sure you're alright? You seem perplexed," Yugi retorted, his large eyes set intently on Jonouchi, of whom was looking elsewhere, mostly at his plate of food. He didn't want to give way that he was perturbed, though little did he realize at that moment that leering at his plate like a sullen child was only going to reinforce the unwanted notion.

"I've told ya already, I'm fine."

"If there's anything wrong you can always tell us," Yugi paused and took a moment of consideration before inclining his head toward Jonouchi, "Is it your work load?"

This elicited a chuckle from Honda which earned him a baleful glance from Jonouchi. Honda being the way he was, however, ignored the warning and as in his nature made a playful jab at Jonouchi, "He's been taking the work load just fine from what I've gathered. A right diligent worker, he is..."

"Shut it, would ya?" Jonouchi snapped, the intensity of his irritation growing ever higher. He knew that Honda meant well, that his teasing was in all rights harmless and playful, but Jonouchi was in no mood for it today. What irritated him all the more was the fact that his foul mood was brought on by Kaiba's absence from school. Was there really any reason to get so worked up about it? Maybe it wasn't all that unusual, people missed class all the time-even teachers sometimes call in and acquire a substitute for the day.

It couldn't be helped, however. Jonouchi was concerned and there wasn't anything in the world that could console him-unless, of course, Kaiba happened to simply waltz on into the cafeteria. That hopeful prospect seemed unlikely.

Yugi frowned at Honda and then returned his attention to the glowering blonde next to him, "We'll just leave it alone till you feel like talking about it, all right?"

Jonouchi glanced at Yugi and nodded, the sour expression on his face having lightened minutely, "Yeah, thanks..."

From then on the group carried on as usual, conversing, laughing and plain old carrying on with one another, or at least they tried. Everyone found it difficult to enjoy their lunch period on account of Jonouchi. That wasn't to say that anyone was displeased with him, but that throughout the circle of friends each and every one of them felt the weight of concern for Jonouchi on their shoulders.

And so the day plowed onward, ending for Jonouchi just as soon as it had begun.

Jonouchi was sure that due to his lack of focus throughout the day, that he had absorbed relatively nothing from his classes. He rushed past his locker and bailed out from the building. Of course, he'd have to carry a heavier load home, but he wasn't quite feeling up to anymore questions about his mood or any other jokes from Honda, even if they weren't of any bad intent.

But how could he go straight home when he was in such a rut of concern like this? Before he could go home and comfortably relax for the rest of the day, Jonouchi knew that for the sake of his sanity, he had to go to Kaiba's. He felt intrusive due to this desire, though it did little to stop him from going nonetheless.

He meandered his way through the city streets, self-set on autopilot.

In his mind he kept replaying various scenarios that would have kept Kaiba from going to class, each one worse than the last. It would be foolish to say that Jonouchi had any rational thought in mind as the reason. Each and every idea that came to his mind was outlandish in some way. It's entirely possible that the dramatic depths of his mind had even, briefly, imagined the possibility of an alien abduction.

He arrived at Kaiba's manor within the hour and, of course, was greeted by the infamous gates he had encountered on his last visit. With an exasperated sigh, Jonouchi hit the button on the intercom and waited.

Of course, he suffered the same issue and last time. An argument with the man on the other side ensued, though compared to the last one it was rather short-lived. Jonouchi might have Kaiba to thank for that; it was the same man that Kaiba had berated the last time he was here. Jonouchi could only hope that said man had learned his place, at least enough to let Jonouchi by without it having to be a struggle and an effort.

The foreboding gates swung open and Jonouchi found himself nearly bolting up the walkway, and he did partially before slowing into a brisk walk. He didn't want to give off the impression that he was in a hurry or panicked after all. Though, in truth he was; the closer he got to Kaiba's house, the more the feeling increased. All the ridiculous ideas were still floating about in his mind, threatening to crumble his resolve.

However, when he reached the front door and it opened he paused, eyes wide as he met with the icy blue stare he had grown so fond of. A surge of relief intermittently ran through him and he felt himself let go of a heavy sigh, body and face relaxing.

"What are you doing here?" Kaiba's voice was hoarse, beneath his eyes were dark circles and his overall appearance seemed more disheveled than Jonouchi was accustomed to seeing. It only took a moment for Jonouchi to realize what had kept Kaiba from promptly getting to school, and with this realization came embarrassment. He had gotten worked up over nothing.

Kaiba was ill with a cold...

Suddenly all the crazy and outlandish ideas that had been running rampant in his mind seemed all the more crazy. He stood silent a moment, staring blankly at Kaiba. It wasn't until a scowl had spread across Kaiba's face that Jonouchi snapped out of it, clearing his throating to answer.

"You, uh... weren't in class today," he said dumbly. Silently he cursed himself as he awaited a response from the brunette.

Kaiba raised an inquisitive brow followed by the snarky remark of, "How kind of you to notice..."

Both stood in silence for a few moments, slowly becoming enveloped in the mighty jaws of awkwardness. It stretched further until Kaiba took initiative to break the silence.

"I do hope that wasn't your only reason for coming here..."

Jonouchi blinked and stared Kaiba down for a moment, opening and closing his mouth as he groped for something to say. He hestitated a moment and then swung his backpack from his shoulders and dropped it to the ground. He opened it and retrieved the papers he had been working on and held them out to Kaiba, though they were partially unfinished and mildly drooled on, but this wasn't the right time to dwell on his little dream last night.

"I collected a bunch of information for us..." He watched as Kaiba stared at the papers with a dubious eye. "I didn't get to finish what I was doing with it, though. Did you want to work on it together?" he added the last part with an air of nervousness, though he tried his best to keep it concealed.

Kaiba lifted his gaze from the paper to Jonouchi and quirked a brow, "You do realize I'm down with a cold, don't you?"

Jonouchi nodded curtly and flashed the brunette a smile, "Of course I did. It doesn't bother me any; I've got a pretty decent immune system!"

The pair stared at each in silence once again before Kaiba gave a save and relinquished enough to step aside and create room for Jonouchi to enter his home.

"Come in..." he said with half-irritation, though clearly unable to refuse the prospect of completing more work.

Jonouchi's smile broadened and obliged, rushing past Kaiba with such glee that it would have been difficult to believe he had been downtrodden just earlier that day.


End file.
